Guess what? Chapter 3 is ready for public testing. It's currently up on EU servers with the name "Shadow of the Xel'Naga III".It will stay there for about a week.

Features:* Chapter 3 of the canonical storyline, based on the Starcraft book "Shadow of the Xel'Naga"* Playable in singleplayer or two-player co-operative mode* Tug-of-War-style of map with two levelable heroes, (new) upgradeable skills and item-shops

Screenshots:

FAQ:

Q: What is this about?

It's my attempt to recreate the storyline of the book Shadow of the Xel'Naga. I combine my affinity for interesting gameplay mechanics with solid storyline which happens to be canon to the Starcraft universe. Check out my signature for my past work on Warcraft book-to-campaign-projects. Each map in the campaign has a unique gameplay idea, much more than Wings of Liberty or Heart of the Swarm, but not too much as not to alienate people.

Q: Chapter 3? Where's 1 and 2?

Chapter 1 and 2 had extensive testing a long time ago and won't be accessable until all 7 maps are finished. I'm not a fan of the episodical release format and one never knows when the next episode is actually going to be released. Holding back all maps will also help me polish them in the end.

Q: Why is this taking so long?

I'm studying and I don't have te time I used to. Sometimes I don't open the Editor for half a year or more. Everytime so much time has passed the editor feels all new and due to the complexity of the Editor (compared to the Warcraft 3 editor) it all takes much more time to get used to. I cannot give any ETA on chapters 4-7; they may take many years to make; but my passion for mapping has always been enough to finish any campaign I have ever started.

Q: What's so special about this map?

Chapter 3 is a lot like the Breakout mission from WoL (where you controlled only Tosh), but adds Tug-of-War-typical gameplay elements like levelable heroes and skills, and items. The gameplay is a lot more action-oriented than previous maps in the campaign. I also have a passion about making the experience as smooth, clean, bug-free and user-friendly as possible. My aim is to make it feel like it's a Blizzard-map and not just another custom map.

Q: So what do you need from me now?

Testing has been going very well so far. The map is a bit smaller than the previous maps in the campaign. I also have a lot more experience. But I have yet to test the 2-player-cooperative mode. If you have a friend who's interested then tell him to play with you. Bear in mind: Some two-player-features need testing (Loading Heroes as Cargo into the other player's ship). Two-player-mode may not work at all. I need to know. You can write your feedback in this thread or leave it directly on Battle.net as a map review.